Makenna Jacklin made just two field goals the entire game but none was the bigger than the latter of the pair, a corner three-pointer with 20.3 seconds to play.

“As soon as it left my hand, I knew it was good, that it was going in. That’s the money ball,” Jacklin relayed of what was flashing through her head as she hit the clutch three-pointer which proved to be the difference between first and second place at the 2019 senior girls Tsumura Basketball Invitational at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday.

Photo Credit: ContributedThe Okanagan Mission Huskies won four straight games to capture the 2019 senior girls Tsumura Basketball Invitational championship at the Langley Events Centre. Members of the team are, from left, front; Jordyn Elliot, Devon Felt, Shae Faitala, Tatum Wade, Elana Corrado, and Melaina Corrado. Back: Jill Robinson (assistant coach), Stella LaGrange, Lily Pink, Makenna Jacklin, Celeste Roosdahl, Jordan Bury and Meghan Faust (head coach).The shot came with her Okanagan Mission Huskies team down by a point to the Britannia Bruins in the championship final.

“Makenna has wanted to hit a three all weekend, but she has struggled with her shooting. That one was clutch, beyond clutch,” enthused Huskies head coach Megan Faust.

The Huskies scored the game’s first nine points before Britannia finally got on the board with half a quarter to play. The lead would be five after one quarter and 10 at the half for OKM, with the Huskies stretching their lead to 13 at one point in the third quarter.

Photo Credit: ContributedLily Pink, right, of the OKM Huskies was selected as the Tsumura Invitational's most valuable player.But the always-dangerous Bruins closed the gap to four with 10 minutes to play and then took a 55-54 lead with 64 seconds remaining. The teams would trade misses on the ensuing possessions setting the stage for Jacklin’s heroics.

Britannia had two cracks at tying or taking the lead, failing both times before Jacklin split a pair of free throws to make it 58-55 with 4.4 seconds to play before the Bruins desperation shot at the buzzer fell short.

Lily Pink earned MVP honours for the Huskies and while her 25 points led all scorers, she was also a force defensively.

Photo Credit: ContributedStella LaGrange“We were definitely stressing but we just had to calm each other down and keep going,” said the Grade 11 forward of the message to the young team which has just two Grade 12s and carries four Grade 10s among its ten players.

The four victories on the weekend were also a way for the Huskies – ranked first among all the Triple-A schools in the province – to prove they are worthy of that ranking.

“We just wanted to come in and prove ourselves. Not everyone thinks  OKM is the team to beat and we want to prove that we are the team that people need to watch out for,” she said.

Photo Credit: ContributedMelaina CorradoIt is a sentiment echoed by her coach.

“It is a way to prove that we are here and a force to be reckoned with in the province. We work really hard and we have set some goals for ourselves and I can tell they want to achieve every single one and nothing will stop them.”

Britannia – which came in ranked third among Double-A schools in the province – knocked off a trio of Quad-A top 10 teams along their way to the championship final.

Photo Credit: ContributedDevon FeltThe Bruins were led by 19 points from Shemaiah Abatayo and 16 from Surprise Munie while Lagi Vaa chipped in 10. Pink was the lone double-digits scorer for the Huskies with Jacklin finishing second with eight points.

In the third-place game, Langley Christian Lightning trailed just once – by two points at the half – as they knocked off the Quad-A No. 8-ranked Kelowna Owls 56-44.

The victory meant the top three finishers at the 20-team tournament were all either Double-A (Britannia and Langley Christian) or Triple-A (Okanagan Mission) in a field stacked with many of the top Quad-A schools.

Photo Credit: Lorne White/KelownaNowMakenna JacklinThe Lightning were led by 17 points from Kathryn New and 15 courtesy of Makenna Gardner. Kassidy Day had 10 points for the Owls.

The Walnut Grove Gators scored a 93-62 win over the R.A. McMath Wildcats to capture fifth place and in the seventh/eighth place game the Yale Lions edged the St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights 48-46.

The Terry Fox Ravens were 76-65 winners over the Riverside Rapids in the ninth-place game.